I love the very upbeat and fun song, “Don’t Worry; Be Happy” by Bob Marley. It is full of joy, hope, and wisdom that encourages us that despite problems, we are to reframe the way we think. He says, “In every life we have some trouble; when you worry you make it double.” In other words, he is not suggesting that we ignore problems or pretend they are non-existent. He simply suggests that what we think and dwell on will make a difference.
Oh, to be like this very relaxed raccoon who probably had a full belly and didn’t have a care or worry. Unfortunately, worry is something that all humans experience. It may be an occasional worry or an ongoing worry about a child or anything that seems to have no solution. There are worries over the government, economy, health, family, employment, world affairs, and security, followed by an endless list of concerns, because we know that much can go wrong in this life. However, studies indicate that about 91% of worries are considered “false alarms.”
God’s word tells us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and [petition] with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Though we recite this scripture, how many follow these instructions?
Excessive worrying is unproductive and can be mentally and physically harmful causing anxiety disorders. Unfortunately, because the world is in continual turmoil and unrest, anxiety levels have become the most common mental health condition that is globally impacting a large portion of the population, which then increases mortality risk if not resolved.
Worry is like venom from a poisonous snake. It poisons faith and brings negative scenarios to our minds, causing us to dwell on a problem or concern that we cannot control. Worry steals our joy and peace. Jesus asks, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27) Thus, we are encouraged to think and meditate on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, praiseworthy, of good report, and has virtue (Philippians 4:8-9). Only then can we experience God’s peace.
We are to live our lives for the promise of heaven that is eternal and not for earthly things that are perishable. We cannot straddle the fence and believe that we can have the best of both worlds because we can only have one master, and it cannot be this world.
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth)”(Matthew 6:24). However, He promises that if we seek first the Kingdom of God then all things will be added to us.
We are cautioned not to be anxious about our life. Our real life (our soul) is God breathed that inhabits a God-crafted body. He knows our every thought, our fears and concerns, our hopes and dreams. We are precious to God and He wants us to trust Him and place our focus on Him and His Word because anxiety weighs heavily on the heart…” (Proverbs 12:25).
How do we encourage ourselves? We meditate on uplifting scriptures that hold God’s promises, we praise Him in the situation, and we connect with other believers for support. Even Joshua was hesitant and a little fearful about taking the land that God had promised, so He said to Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” Joshua 1:9). “Is,” (present tense) means that God is present with us each day and will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5; Deuteronomy 31:6).
Every day is a gift in which God encourages us to live with faith and hope and not take precious minutes for granted. For God is in control and knows our every need, and like the birds, God says, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26)
Jesus said that our life and times are in God’s hands. He knows when we rise, sit, lie down and get up. He knows our days from our first cry to our last breath. Our Father is holding us every day and He hears our cries, our worries and concerns. He tells us, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34).
How many times have we worried about something that never happened? “So, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’For the pagans (non-Christians) run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”(Matthew 6:31-33 NIV).
We have enough on our plate today to be worrying about tomorrow. Realistically, despite all our planning, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. That is why each day is a gift not to be wasted with worry.
George Mueller, who during the 1800s was a well known Christian evangelist and director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, said, “Where faith begins, anxiety ends; where anxiety begins, faith ends.” He never allowed doubt to invade his thoughts. He believed that God always heard his prayers to provide …and God always provided above and beyond what Mueller had needed and requested for the orphans.
Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker, hid Jews from the Nazis. When asked if she worried about being caught by the Germans, she responded, “Worry is like a rocking chair. It keeps you moving but doesn’t get you anywhere.” She would save over 800 Jews from the gas chambers before being caught and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp, the worst of death camps. Eventually, she was released, due to a miraculous error in paperwork. She would live to write The Hiding Place and travel the world, sharing her story and the Gospel until her death in 1983.
Worry is the archnemesis to faith. For that reason, we must trust God’s Word, read it, and speak it into our lives each day. Only then, can we defeat worry and find the desired peace that we long to experience.
PRAYER: Father, Your Word encourages me to cast my cares on You because You provide, care for and sustain me. For You do not allow those who trust in You to be shaken (Psalm 55:22). Help me focus on You and daily place my confidence, trust, and hope in You and not in what I see and experience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.